He has breakfast...with Rachel...(Awkward...)

It was almost noon when I woke up alone in bed, in **** need of some water. I quickly threw on some clothes and went out to find the others, only to find the house empty. Assuming that everyone had gone out on a hike or something, I grabbed a bottle of water and practically inhaled it before pouring myself some cereal. As I sat down at the table to eat, I heard the door to Talia and Rachel's room creak open, but since my back was to the door I had no clue who had come out. I soon found out who it was as Rachel walked around the table and fixed her own breakfast before sitting down across from me at the table.

"Talia's still sleeping," she mumbled.

"Oh."

I suddenly found myself alone with Rachel, entering what might just be the most awkward silence of my life.

She finally broke the silence with "So... you've seen my tits."

To which I replied, "So... you've see my cock."

"Yeah," she sighed before cracking a smile. "Still don't see the appeal."

We both laughed as the awkward moment passed us by, happy to know that nothing had been damaged between us. Still, I needed to say something, at least so I could say that I did. "Look, about last night..."

"Let me stop you right there," she said as she held up a hand, turning to face me and looking very serious. "I love Talia. I am absolutely bananas for that girl, and I would do anything to make her happy." A smile crossed her face as she continued, "Which you certainly did last night, so I'm glad that things worked out."

She took a spoonful of her cereal before becoming serious again. "But with that being said, she's really worried about you. Won't give me details and I certainly won't pry. I respect a person's privacy."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. So look, we've known each other longer than we've known anyone else here. We weren't exactly best buddies but we were friends, and I'm... I'm glad that we've gotten closer, Ian."

I was a bit taken aback at how personal this conversation was getting. Rachel usually played her cards very close to the chest and wasn't one to get sappy like this.

"Like I said, we've known each other for a long time, and despite sharing my girlfriend and my bed last night, you and I have never been... shall we say 'intimate'. What I'm trying to say is that there's no awkward feelings or history between us, so if you need... I don't know... a casual third-party opinion on things to help you sort them out, then I'm here if you need me."

Now I was really blown away. It's hard to express how much that meant to me in that moment. I'd been stuck in a fog, unsure of what to do or where to go, and suddenly the light of a lighthouse appears out of the most unexpected direction.

"Thank...thank you, Rachel. You have no idea what that means to me."

We both had a few more spoonfuls of cereal before she asked, "Are you gonna try and hug me now?"

"Depends. Will I still have my arms attached afterwards?"

She chuckled and replied, "I'll give you a pass this time."

We both stood up, walked around the table and hugged. Given my currently muddled and confusing sexual relationships with my other female friends, I had forgotten how nice a simple platonic hug could be.

Just as I was about to let go, Rachel said to me, "By the way, I thought of a way that you can pay me back for all of the fun you had last night. When the opportunity presents itself, you're gonna help me get Talia tied up so I can show her what it's like to be on the receiving end. Deal?"

"Sure," I chuckled as we ended our embrace, flashing her a coy smile. "What's the incentive for me?"

I got a punch in the arm for my trouble, followed by a smile. "We can figure something out but I'll make it worth your while."